Lockable control device



April 30, 1946. c. R. SUSKA ET AL LOCKABLE CONTROL DEVICE Filed Feb. 26, 1945 e Sheets-Sheet 1 M z M 5 M6? gmwww azaswim Gfffiowney April 30, 1946. c. R. SUSKA ET; AL 2,399,533

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Patented Apr. 30, 1946 LO CKABLE CONTROL DEVICE Charles R. Suska, Dayton, Ohio, and George '1. Downey, Corry, Pa., a'ssignors to Aero Supply Mfg. 00., Inc., Corry, Pa.

Application February 26, 1945, Serial No. 579,852

8 Claims. (Q1. 74-536) Another object of this invention is to provide a lever'which is hereinafter referred to as the drive member and which upon rocking thereof is adapted to actuate a driven member, the lever embodying means whereby it may be rocked in either direction to actuate the driven member,

taken on the line l-l of Figure 2 of a lockable control quadrant constructed according to an embodiment 'ofthis invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a'fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3, the locking pawl and related parts being shown in their normal positions.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.-

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of a and when the force applied to rock the lever has 15 modified form of lockable control quadrant. been removed the lever will automatically be Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially locked in a pre-selected adjusted position. on the line -'l of Figure 6.

A further object of this invent-ion is to provide Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical section partly a reversible latching or locking means for a rock broken away and in detail of another form of this lever wherein the initial movement of the lever 20 invention. in either direction will release the locking means Figure 9 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the and continued movement of the lever in the same releasable latch construction shown in Figure 8. direction will effect movement of the driven ele- Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly ment, the lever being automatically locked when broken away and in section, of another modificathe force effecting its movement is released. 25 tion of this invention.

f A particular application of this invention is to the quadrant or throttle for an airplane engine, and more'particularly a quadrant or throttle control of the type embodying a'main throttle operating lever and one or more secondary levers connected to the supercharger and/or propeller pitch changing mechanism, with the movement of the secondarylevers synchronized with respect to the movement of the main throttle lever.

A further object of this invention is to p'rovid in a quadrant or control of this kind a. refined adjustment for the drivenlever, so that the driven lever' may be more finely adjusted than is the case with prior controls of this kind.

A further object of this invention is to provide a releasable latch means for the driven lever so that this lever may be optionally shifted or ad justed independently of the driving lever or the locking means associated with the driving lever.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear,-the invention con s'ists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes,

variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawingszf Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on line H-H of Figure 10.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 19 designates generally a frame structure for a throt- 0 tie control quadrant, and the frame I0 includes a stationary cylindrical pivot I I, which is threaded into a plate or bearing member I2, having a flange l3 secured byfastening members I4 to the frame ill. The frame lflhas rockably mounted on the pivot H, a rock lever having an upwardly extending arm [6 and a downwardly extending arm H. The frame I ll includes a pair of longitudinally arcuate spacer members I8 and I9 between which an operating lever, generally designated as 20, is adapted to movably engage. Operating lever 20 is pivotally mounted on a pivot 2|, having a head or flange 22. The pivot 2| is disposed at a point below the upperend of the lever arm I6 and operating lever 20 is adapted to have limited rocking movement as will be hereinafter described with respect to lever 15. Y U

Operating lever 20 is formed of a pair of outer laminations 23 and 24 and intermediate laminations 25, 2B and 21. The laminations 25, 2B and 21 are formed with longitudinally extending elongated slots 25*, 26 and 21 respectively, so that wires or other operating means associated with the quadrant may be extended downwardly throughlever 2B. The laminations 23 to 21 are formed, as shown more clearly in Figure 3, with a pair of oppositely extending arms 30 and 3|, and pins or rollers 32 and 33 are carried by the arms 30 and 3|, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described. The frame 10 has fixed thereto a longitudinall arcuate gear or toothed rack 34 with which a lever rocking pawl 3-5 is adapted to be engaged for holding lever 29 and lever against rocking movement under a pulling or pushing force on lower lever arm I I connected to a driven element. Pawl 35 comprises an elongated body 36, which is formed with an elongated opening 31 adjacent the upper portion thereof, and the upper end of body 36 isformed With teeth 38 adapted to mesh with the teeth of rack 34.

Pivot member 2| extends loosely through the elongated opening 3'! and preferably pivot memher 2! is formed with a cutout. 39 in the upper side thereof within which the upper end of the opening 31 formed in body 36 is adapted to engage. A pin 49 is fixed to lever arm 16 and extends. through a transversely elongated slot 4|v formed in the lower end portion of operating. lever 29. In this manner operating member 20 may have limited rocking movement on pivot member 21 with respect to lever arm IS, the length of slot 4| determining, the amount of rocking of operating member 29. Body 36 adjacent the lower portion thereof is formed. with a vertically elongated slot 42 through which headed pin 40 loosely engages, so that pawl 35 may have vertical movement with respect to pivot member 29 and pin 49. A spring 43 is disposed on the outer side of pawl 35, being secured at one end to an outstanding lug 44 which is struck from the body 36. The opposite end of spring 43 is secured to a forwardly extending stud 45 carried by pivot member 2|. In this manner pawl 35 will be constantly urged upwardly to a latched'position.

In order to provide a means whereby pawl 35 may be moved downwardlyto a released position when operating lever 29 is rocked on pivot 2-lin either direction, we have provided a pair of oppositely extending cam arms and 41-. Cam members 46 and 41 are adapted to be normally slightly spaced from both pins or rollers 32 and 33, so that the teeth 38 of pawl 35 willbe fully in mesh with the teeth of rack 34. The edges 46' and 41' of cam members 46 and 41, respectively, may also constitute stop means for limiting the rocking of lever 20, the pins 32 and 33 being adapted to engage edges 46" and 41, respectively, and in actual practice this construction will be the preferred construction. A bearing 43 is interposed between the rear side of pawl 35 and the forward side of lever member 20, and a bearing 49 is interposed between the lower portion of pawl 3-5 and. lever 20, Bearing 48 engages about pivot member 2!, whereas bearing 49 engages about pin 40, A bearing 50 is interposed between lever 20 and the forward side of lever arm l5, and a bearing 5| is interposed between the lower end portion of lever 20and the forward side of lever arm l6, bearing 59 engaging about pivot 2! and bearing- 5! engaging about pin 49.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 'l, there is disclosed a modified form of this invention emiodying a fine adjustment for the driven lever 15. As disclosed, driving lever 29 is similar in every detail to driving lever 20, and has extending laterally from the lowerend thereof pin supp ting arms 39 and 3| 9 on whichcam pins 32 and 33, respectively, are mounted. Pins 32 and 33 are engageable with cam members 46 and 41, respectively, which are carried by springpressed pawl 36 engageable with a toothed rack 34*, carried by the frame I0. Pawl 3t is constantly urged to rack engaging position by means of spring 43 which in the present instance has its upper end engaged with a transversely extending pin 52, which is carried by the reduced end portion 45 of pivot member 2 I.

A second pawl member generally designated as '53 is slidably carried by pivot member 2| and headed pin 49 Pawl member 53 is constructed substantially identical with pawl member 36 except that the teeth 54 thereof are oifset with respect to the teeth of pawl member 36 Inpractice the teeth 54 of pawl member 53' are offset from the teeth of pawl 36 a distance sufficient so that when the teeth of pawl member iii are. engaged with the teeth of rack 34*, the teeth 54 of pawl 53 will engage the peaks of the teeth of rack 36*, as shown in Figure 6. Pawl 53 is constantly urged in the direction ofrack 34 by means of a spring 55,. whichat its upper end engages the opposite end of pin 52, and. at its lower end engages a forwardly projecting lug 44* which is struck from the shank of pawl 53. Pawl 53 is formed at its lower end with a. pair of cam members 46 and 41 similar to cammembers 46 and 41*, respectively.

When pawl 36*- is engaged with the. teeth of rack 34 cam members 46 and 41 will be spaced downwardly from their. respective. operating pins or rollers 32 and 33, Pawl member 53 is formed with an elongated opening or slot 42 through which headed pin 40 loosely engages, so that pawl member 53 ma have lengthwise movement with respect to lever 20 the upper end of pawl 53 also being formed with an elongated opening 31 similar to elongated opening 3'! in pawl 36. Pawl 36 is also formed with an elongated opening 42 similar to opening 42, whereby awl 36 may have lengthwise movement with respect to driving lever 20;

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9 there is (115-. closed another form of this invention embodying a releasable driven lever construction, In this form of the invention the driving lever 29 is similar in every detail to driving lever 20, and has associated therewith a spring-pressed toothed pawl 36 which is normally urged into engagement with a toothed rack 34*; A driven lever I5 is mounted on a stationary pivot member ll and is operated in every detail the same as driven lever l5. A lever 56 is rockably mounted on pivot I l adjacent lever i5 and is formed at its lower end with an extension 51 for connection with a suitable driven element. Lever 15' at its upper end is formed with a notch or keeper '58 in which a sprin -pressed pawl 59, carried by lever 56, is adapted to normally engage.

Pawl 59 is rockable on a pivot 69 extending through a slot 6| in which pawl 59 rockably engages, and pawl 59 is constantly urged to locking position by means of a, spring 62.: Pawl 59 includes a handle 63 extending upwardly av suflicient distance so that. pawl 59 may conveniently be selectively rocked to areleased position with respect to keeper 58 in order. that lever 56v may be rocked independently of lever l5 It will, of course, be understood that the control construction disclosed in Figures 6 and 7 may be-combined with the latched lever construction shown in Figures 8 and 9.

In the use and operation of the device shown in Figures 1 to 5, a driven element is connected to the lower lever arm l1. When it is desired-to rock lever l5, which is the drive lever, lever 20 is rocked in the desired direction, initially rocking on pivot 2| to the limit provided by the elongated slot M, or the engagement of pins 32 and 33 with either edge 46 or 41. When operating lever 20 is rocked on pivot 2|, as an example, in a clockwise direction,as viewed in Figure 1, pin 33 carried by arm 3| will move cam member 4'! downwardly, and downward movement of cam member 41 will move pawl member 35 downwardly to disengage the teeth 38 thereof from the teeth of rack 34. Further rocking in a clockwise direction of lever 20 will move therewith lever l5. As soon as the force applied to move lever 20 is removed therefrom, spring 43 will move pawl member 35 upwardly to a latched position. Lever 15 will thereupon be latched in its selected position and any pulling or pushing force on lever l I will not shift lever I5 or operating lever 20.

The control shown in Figures 6 and '7 will work in the same manner as the control shown in Figures 1 to 5, with the following exception: In the event the driven lever I5- is positioned at such a point in its adjustment that the teeth of pawl 36* will engage the peaks of the teeth of rack 34, then the teeth 54 of pawl 53 will lock lever l5 in its adjusted position. In other words, as the peaks of the teeth of pawl 53 are disposed between the peaks of the teeth of pawl 36*, lever l5 may be adjusted and locked in its adjusted position by either pawl 36 or pawl 53.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the construction therein disclosed will operate in the same manner as the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5, with the exception if it is desired to efiect an adjustment of the driven lever 56 independently of the driving lever 20 then pawl or latching member 59 is rocked outwardly to a released position with respect to lever l5 With pawl 59 in a released position lever 56 can be adjusted to any desired position. As hereinbefore stated, the refined construction shownin Figures 6 and '7 may also be used with the releasable latch means for the driven lever shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Referring now to Figures and 11, there is disclosed another modification of this invention wherein an extremely fine or vernier adjustment may be obtained with respect to the lever or levers forming the quadrant. In this form of the invention the frame Ill is similar to the frame It] and has rockably mounted therein a driving lever which is adapted to be locked in adjusted position by means of a spring pressed pawl It will be understood that the details of construction of the levers of any one or combination of the levers disclosed in Figures 1 to 9 may be used with the construction shown in Figures 10 and 11. The frame l0 has mounted therein an arcuate spacing bar which is formed at the opposite ends thereof with bosses 6B and 61 through which the assembly bolts 68 and 69, respectively, are adapted to engage.

The spacing bar 65 is formed in the lower concave side thereof with a downwardly opening channel Til within which a longitudinally arcuate toothed rack II is adapted to slidably engage. The rack H is slidably mounted in the channel by means of a pair of headed pins 12, which engage over the upper side of the spacing bar 65 and loosely extend through elongated slots 13 formed in the spacing bar 65. The pins 12 are tightly pressed into openings 14, which are formed in the rack II. The rack H at one end thereof is formed with an upwardly extending lug 15 which loosely engages through a slot 16 formed (ill - position.

in the adjacent end portion of spacing bar 65. The spacing bar 65 is also formed with an upwardiy projecting lug 11, having a threaded bore 18 through which a threaded bolt 19 is threaded. The inner end of the bolt or screw 19 is swivelly secured in an opening formed in the rack lug 15, the bolt or screw 19 being formed with ribs or heads BI and 82 on opposite sides of lug 15, so that the bolt or screw 1.9 may freely rotate with respect to lug l5, and When bolt or screw "19 is rotated and moved endwise through lug 11, rack II will also be moved endwise in the channel spacing bar 65.

A hand wheel 83 is secured to the outer end of the bolt or screw 19, and preferably a spring 84 is interposed between the hand wheel 83 and the outer end of lug 11, so that the bolt or screw 19 will be frictionally held against rotation.

It will be understood that the driving lever 20 may be looked, as hereinbefore described with respect to driving lever 20, to thereby adjust the driven lever or levers, and if it is desired to obtain an adjustment intermediate the pitches of the teeth of rack 1|, hand wheel 83 may be rotated in the desired direction, so as to thereby bodily shift rack H for the desired distance. It will be understood that rack H is so constructed that it may be adjusted lengthwise for a distance greater than the distance between a pair of teeth on the rack H, but under normal operating conditions if it is desired to adjust the driving lever for a distance greater than the width of one or more teeth, the driving lever 20 is used to effect this adjustment.

The lever and rack assembly constructions herein disclosed may be combined with a synchronized control for simultaneously regulating the operation of other devices such as superchargers and propeller pitch changing mecha nisms, which are operated from a main lever, such as a throttle lever, in which case lever 15 will be the main lever and the other levers will be correlated with, and operated from, lever l 5.

What we claim is:

1. A lever latching means comprising a stationary frame, a lever pivotally carried by said frame, a pivot pin carried by said lever, a second lever pivotally carried by said first lever and formed with a transversely elongated slot, a second pin fixedly carried by said first lever loosely engaging through said slot whereby said second lever may have limited rocking relative to said first lever, a toothed rack carried by said frame, a pawl formed with two elongated slots slidably carried on said first lever by said pivot pin and said second pin respectively, a spring constantly urging said pawl to latching position with respect to said rack, a pair of laterally ofiset cam arms carried by said pawl, a pair of laterally projecting arms carried by said second lever, and outwardly projecting members carried by said latter arms en-gageable with said cam arms whereby rocking of said second lever in either direction will move said pawl to released 2. A lever latching means comprising a stationary frame, a driven lever pivotally carried by said frame, a pivot pin carried by said lever, a driving lever pivotally carried by said driven lever, a toothed rack carried by said frame, a second pin carried by said driven lever, a pawl slidably carried on said driven lever formed with two lengthwise slots and normally urged to a rack engaging position, an apertured ear struck from said pawl, a spring connected between said ear and said pivot pin, correlatedmeans carried by said driving lever and saidpawl-for moving said pawl to released positionupon rocking of said driving lever, and a secondpawl similar-to said first pawl also carried on said driven lever, dis-' posed in a position for engagement with the correlated means of'saiddriving' lever, and. normally urged to rack engaging position, a second spring connected between the ear of said second pawl and said pivot pin, said second pawl being so arranged with respect to said first pawl to thereby lock said driven lever at-selected points between the locking of said driven lever by said first pawl. V

3. A lockable lever construction comprising a frame, a transeversely arcuate U-shaped guide carried by said frame, a pivot carried by said frame, a driven lever carried by said pivot, a driving lever rockably carried by said driven lever, a toothed rack slidably carried by saidguide, said guide being formed with elongated slots, headed pins carried .bysaid rack and en gageable through said slots, .a spring-pressed locking means carried by said driven lever ens gageable with said rack for locking said driven lever in adjusted position, correlated means carried partly by said driven lever and partly by said locking means for moving the latter to released position upon initial rocking of said driving lever, and means for adjusting the endwise position of said rack: whereby to angularly adjust said driven lever independent of the adjustment of the latter by said driving-lever.

4. A lockable lever construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said latter named means includes screw threaded means.

5. A lever latching means comprising a stationary frame, a lever pivotally carried by said frame, a pin carried by said lever, a second lever pivotally carried by said first lever by means of said pin and formed with a transversely elongated slot, a second pin fixedly carried by said first lever loosely engaging through said slot, the ends of said slot constituting a limiting means for limiting the rocking of said second lever relative to said first lever, a toothed rack carried by said frame, a pawl slidably carried by said first lever and formed with two lengthwise slots and loosely engaging said pins, a spring constantly urging said pawl to latching position with respect to said rack, a pair of laterally offset cam arms carried by said pawl, a pair of laterally projecting arms carried by said second lever, and outwardly projecting members carried by said latter arms engageable with said cam arms whereby rocking of said second lever in either direction will move said pawl to released position.

6. A lever latching means comprising a stationary frame, a lever pivotally carried by said frame, a second lever pivotally carried by said first lever, a toothed rack carried by said frame, a pawl slidably carried by said first lever, a spring constantly urging said pawl to latching position with respect to said rack, a pair of laterally offset arms carried by said pawl, a cam formed on each of said arms, said cam consisting of outwardly facing right angularly disposed straight edges,'a pair of'laterally. projecting. armsrcarried by-said second lever,; and outwardly projecting pins carried by said latter arms engageable with said cams whereby rocking of said second lever in either direction will move saidypawlto re-, leased position, said cams-being so constructed and arranged at their inner portions as to be engaged by at least one of said outwardly projecting pins to thereby limit the rocking of'said second lever with respect to said first lever.

7. A lever latching means comprising a stationary frame, an arcuate toothed rack carried by said frame, a stationary pivot carried by said frame, a lever rockably mounted on said pivot,za pivot pin carried at one end of said lever and formed with a cut-out, a second pinloosely car ried by said lever, a driving lever pivotally car.- ried by said first lever, ;a pawlslidably carried on said first lever, said driving lever being formed with a transversely elongated slot, said second pin loosely engaging throughsaid slot, said pawl being formed with two longitudinally elongated slots, said pivot pin and said second pin respectively loosely engaging through said slots, an apertured ear struck from said pawl, a, spring engaging said ear and said pivot pin to constantly urge said pawl to latching position with respect to said rack, a pair of laterally offset arms-carried by said pawl, oppositely disposed cams carried by said arms, a pair of laterally projecting arms carried by said driving lever, and a laterally projecting pin carried by each of said latter arms engageable with said cams, whereby rocking of said second lever in either direction-will move said pawl to released position.

8. A lever latching means comprisin a stationary frame, an arcuate toothed rack carried by said frame, a lever pivotally carried by frame, a second lever pivotally carried by said first lever and formed with a transversely elongated slot, a pin fixedly carriedby said first lever loosely engaging through said slot, a pawl slidably carried by said first lever and formed with two longitudinally elongated slots, an apertured ear struck from said pawl, a spring constantly urging said pawl to latching position with respect to said rack, a second pawl slidably carriedby said first lever and formed with two longitudinally elongated slots, an apertured ear struck from said second pawl, said latter ear being slightly 7 larger in all dimensions than said first ear, so

that said first ear may project through the opening adjacent said latter ear, a second spring constantly urging said second pawl to latching position with respect to said rack, said'second pawl being so arranged with respect to said first pawl to thereby lock said second lever at selected points between the locking of said second lever by said first pawl, a pair of laterally offset arms carried by said pawls, oppositely disposed cams carried by said arms, a pair of laterally projecting arms carried by said second lever, and a laterally projecting pin carried by each of said latter arms engageable with said cams, whereby rocking of said second lever in either direction will move said pawls to released position.

CHARLES R. SUSKA, GEORGE T. DOWNEY. 

